True/False Film Fest is pleased to announce that filmmaker Yance Ford will assume the role of Visiting Artistic Director for True/False 2026. Ford will lead the programming team to curate the 30+ lineup of new creative nonfiction films that will show at the 23rd edition of True/False in downtown Columbia, MO.
Yance Ford is a singular voice in documentary filmmaking. With an Oscar nomination, a Primetime Emmy, and global acclaim, Ford’s work is known for its formal rigor and emotional resonance. His films explore history, memory, and American life through a personal and political lens. Ford’s debut, STRONG ISLAND (Netflix), premiered at Sundance in 2017 and Ford made history when he became the first openly transgender director nominated for an Academy Award. The film also won a Gotham Award, a Primetime Emmy, and a Sundance Special Jury Prize. In 2024, Ford returned with POWER (Netflix), an unflinching portrait of American policing. The L.A. Times called it “urgent, astute, capacious… a tale of sound and fury, signifying everything.” Ford teaches and mentors widely, serves on film juries around the world, and is a Guggenheim and MacDowell Fellow, as well as a member of the Academy and DGA. In addition to his prolific filmmaking career, Ford worked as a Series Producer for the PBS showcase POV for over a decade, where his curatorial work helped garner more than 16 Emmy nominations
Ford says about the new role, “I’ve loved True/False for a long time, so stepping into this role to help True/False transition into its next phase is an honor and I’m excited. As Visiting Artistic Director for True/False 2026, I’m thinking about how we can keep the festival grounded in creative risk and personal perspective—where you can feel the filmmaker’s hand in both the story and craft. The goal is to curate work that feels driven by inquiry. Films that are honest and creatively purposeful, inquisitive, and formally alive. True/False has always championed films that resist simplification, and that spirit will shape everything we do.”
Andrea Luque Káram, Ragtag Film Society Executive Director, says, “I am very excited to welcome Yance as Visiting Artistic Director this year. He brings in a bold vision that is centered around civic responsibility, and he seeks to showcase works that are revealing of structures and systems overshadowed by mainstream culture. His connection to True/False and appreciation of the Fest’s history makes this moment extra special for us.”
Robert Greene, Ragtag Film Society Board Member, says of Yance’s appointment, “Yance is one of the best filmmakers in the world, as well as being a brilliant programmer and truly deep thinker about all things documentary, so to have him at the helm for this one year will give True/False such a unique energy. I’m excited to see what he does with the program. I think it’s going to mark a major moment for the Fest.”
Since 2004, True/False has re-imagined the film festival experience with groundbreaking programming and a dedication to creative placemaking that develops the talents and focuses the energy of the mid-Missouri region to welcome an international audience year after year. True/False looks forward to welcoming in a new curatorial voice for 2026 and the organization will open the search for a long-term Artistic Director later this year. True/False 2026 will take place March 5-8 in downtown Columbia, MO. For more information visit truefalse.org.